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Mockingjay: Preproduction Begins

Ahead of schedule pre-production has begun on the Mockingjay films, which are dauntingly going to be shot simultaneously. Yep, like Harry Potter 7 and 8, and that is where my Harry Potter reference ends, because I am not a Potter-head, and you can’t make me into one, and lalalalala.

Mockingjay is a dark tale, I think we can all agree on that? I’ve been re-reading it this summer, for the fourth time actually, and I’m struck this time around with just how much action, and emotion, and explosions, and death, destruction, and not happy things are in it. Remember way back when, when we learned that Mockingjay was being split into a two-part film? Yeah, and we all got all huffy, and mad, and stupid over it. I’m over it, I mean it guys, I’m really really over it being split, I’m so over it, that I’ve embraced the concept for years now, and bloody well love that details that would otherwise likely be cut, will potentially not be cut, because they don’t have to squeeze the freakin’ war epic that Mockingjay is, into two neat and tidy hours.

There are certain details, or aspects of the story, however that even from my crazy point of view, will be difficult to translate. But damn, I wish and hope they pull it off. One, or several of those details is Katniss’ swirly, traumatized mind-scape. We all know how messed up Katniss is in the third book, at least those of us who read it do. My hope though is that the film makers are able to keep the confused, addled, and colorful visuals that rattle Katniss mind in the films, because otherwise, it’ll just be, “Oh, okay…. why’s she hiding behind that pipe in the fetal position… again?” to the poor unfortunate who walks into the theatre thinking they’re watching Fast and Furious 800000.

There are other details that I also know will be difficult to keep intact, or translate, or

I wanna watch the guy cry, too much to ask?

interpret. Peeta. Yep, good-ole Peeta. He spends half of the third book being tortured, but the reader doesn’t get to see it. I want to see it. I know that sounds kind of weird, but I do. I just don’t think that exposition will work from a film making point of view, especially with what happens to him. I don’t mean go all Reservoir Dogs on us, I mean be smart, have the focus-puller there doing their thing, pull back on the hard stuff, let us hear Josh’s performance, a dash of blurred red, a cry of pain, shouts, begging, nostrils flaring, shoes scraping the floor, a mouth hanging open gasping for breath, hyperventilating, liquid dripping from the end of a recently plunged hypodermic needle, a hand tightening its grip on a chair arm, that’s all that may be needed. But for gods sake, don’t just tell us about it happening, that’s lazy, and kind of boring.

Well, if anything– I don’t think they could make either of the Mockingjay films boring.

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One comment

Should be two epic movies. Yes I think f-law will put the pain on Peeta in the hands of the capital. Joanna’s screams. Prep team’s brutal demise. I mean the glimpse of the Gale whipping scene is chilling so it will not be a kiddie movie. War in the future will be brutal in these movies. I read the books a ton then switched to cd since I commute a very boring route of 3 hours a day. I will probably listen again come November